Customer feedback provides brands with a powerful voice using irrefutable social proof. In marketing, social proof is more than a psychological phenomenon. Informational social influence drives the majority of consumer purchasing decisions. While criticism helps internally improve a product or service, positive reviews help draw in potential buyers. Understandably, 96% of consumers don’t trust ads, so they’re more likely to seek third-party validation than ever.
Businesses can take outreach success to a new level with high-quality video testimonials – Forge Apollo explains how.
5 Benefits of Video Testimonials
Video reviews acquire leads by utilizing the undisputed power of customer advocacy. Ideally, positive customer experiences tell a brand’s story to create a favorable brand image. Take Mark Shust’s testimonial for UKRFCU, which captures the organization’s purpose while summarizing UKRFCU’s story:
1. Video reviews are more digestible & thus more memorable.
Video content engages multiple senses, making remembering it easier than recalling plain text or still images. In fact, 80% of users can recall a video ad they viewed in the last month. Why shouldn’t it be yours?
This high engagement potential means videos generally reach broader, more diverse audiences online, especially when properly optimized. Applying closed captions, translations, tags, alt text, and other optimization techniques increases a video’s visibility and accessibility.
2. They boost your visibility online.
Apart from being easy to digest, video content boasts maximum shareability. Online visibility is vital to a successful content distribution strategy. Improve brand exposure by leveraging video testimonials in various forms of marketing outreach, including:
- Social Media
- Website pages
- Youtube Ads
Embedding video testimonials on an optimized web page increases online visibility. Premium video not only improves audience understanding of an offering, but including videos on landing pages can boost conversion rates by up to 80%. Creative use of video testimonials boosts search engine optimization (SEO) potential, putting branded content in front of more eyes.
3. Client testimonial videos artfully leverage social proof.
Generally, people trust the opinions of others. Over 90% of buyers trust a peer recommendation, and 70% of people trust a purchase recommendation from a stranger. Brands can use video reviews to prove objectively that other customers benefited from their purchasing experience.
A good video review establishes trust and implies leadership by reinforcing a brand’s credibility. This content should reinforce the idea that your product or service significantly enhances the customer’s life.
4. Marketers can tailor them to specific pain points.
Well-planned review prompts allow a brand to control the narrative strategically. What should prospective customers and other viewers know about the business? Ask questions and prompt responses that highlight specific, desirable brand capabilities. Brainstorm creative methods for illustrating what makes your brand unique through the eyes of existing clients.
5. Favorable reviews build better emotional connections.
Video testimonials increase credibility and trust with current and prospective clients by humanizing a brand. Most people find it difficult to relate to large corporations represented only by an impersonal logo and still graphics. Humans tend to appreciate and absorb a brand’s story better when accompanied by a human face.
Emotionally connected consumers are 52% more valuable to a brand than just satisfied customers. Therefore, buyers are more likely to purchase from brands whose messages elicit a positive psychological response.
How to Get Video Testimonials from Customers
All positive reviews, even short and simple ones, are worth a video testimonial. An impactful video review is emotional, memorable, and concise. Our marketing pros offer some ideas on how to ask for a video testimonial from a client (and get it):
- Piggyback off another shoot – Already planning a video shoot for creating content with Forge Apollo? Take the opportunity while our studio equipment is available to invite satisfied customers for a short testimonial interview.
- Dedicate a day – Allocate a day (or even half-day) for recording clips that feature reviews from your favorite customers or regulars to the business. As they enter, ask (with advanced permission) questions like, “What made you come in today?” or “Why do you purchase from us?”
- Zoom testimonials – Modern technology enables businesses with tools for acquiring great review videos. Hosting an interview using Zoom or other conferencing software makes creating video testimonials easier than ever. These types of interviews are more accessible, help get more participants, and cut down on production costs.
Brands can further increase their chances of receiving reviews with client incentives. People value their time, so how can a business make a customer’s review worthwhile? Some foolproof ideas for incentivizing testimonials include:
- Offering a complimentary discount
- Automatic submission into a giveaway or raffle
- Receipt of a premium content offer (e-book, checklist, etc.)
- Access to exclusive industry resources or tools
- Additional amenities for no charge (free shipping, free gift, free consultation)
Below, Forge Apollo’s creative experts share some additional hacks for how to get video testimonials from customers:
Be specific about what’s needed.
A request for a review requires clarity and personalization. Mention what service or product you provided, and ask why they chose that product or service. For example:
- Why would the client recommend the product or service to peers?
- Why did the client choose the product or service over other options?
- Why is solving this pain point important to the client?
During the interview, try to point the subject in the right direction with their responses. Ask the interviewee for more details or ask for elaboration when appropriate. For example, avoid questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” answer and instead opt for open-ended questions. For clarity, encourage the speaker to repeat the prompt in their response, like in our video for GMH Mortgage Services LLC:
Get creative with interview questions.
Testimonial videos should be both meaningful and fun for everyone involved. Develop thought-provoking interview questions that provide value to both parties. How can the client benefit from providing their feedback? Consider innovative ways to give back to participants who volunteer their opinions. Inspire learning, and try to facilitate self-reflection while gathering valuable data.
Create authentically.
Our best advice for acquiring impactful testimonial videos? Be authentic! Truthfully, customers purchase from brands they find relatable. Most consumers (90%) seek authenticity in the businesses they buy from – they desire real connections with brands whose beliefs align with theirs. As with all content, quality matters most, so be genuine.
Help people discover your videos online with our best practices guide for YouTube SEO.
High-Quality Testimonial Video Production in Philadelphia
Are you ready to build brand credibility through video testimonials? At Forge Apollo, high-quality video production is our specialty. We produce award-winning videos for organizations in various industries, including healthcare, tourism, manufacturing, home improvement, and more.
An effective video review from our production team sets brands apart from the competition while artfully capturing their voice. Moreover, strategically distributing your testimonial video with help from our Philadelphia digital marketing agency can improve local SEO, reputation management, social media campaigns, and more.
Contact our marketing experts to create compelling video reviews for your business today.
